Office Space (1999)

Directed by: Mike Judge
Starring: Ron Livingston

It pretty much began in high school. That being the consistent urges by numerous sources to see Office Space. It almost became kind of a joke considering how many times the film was suggested to me compared to how long I went without actually seeing it. It remained in my netflix queue, inching ever so closely to getting delivered before something I really wanted to see bumped it right back down again. Well, I finally saw it and I can officially say that it sucked.

The more I think about it, the more it seems that when I was in high school people were urging me to see the film. Once I got older, people were more just surprised that I hadn't rather than continuing to urge. The obvious reason for this is that I should have seen Office Space when I was in high school, when that particular breed of comedy was not only more prevalent, but actually funny. Now, with the emergence of the Apatow style of comedy, Office Space not only seems dated, but insignificant.

As popular as the movie seemed to have been so many years ago, it doesn't have the same lasting power as comedies like Dumb and Dumber or even Happy Gilmore in my opinion. These are movies that were funny a decade ago and are still funny now. Part of the reason for this is those films are led by Jim Carey and Adam Sandler, both of whom continue to be funny. I'm a big Ron Livingston fan but the outrageous situation he creates and his supporting cast are supposed to be the funny parts and they are not.

While Office Space may still ring true to so many, "The Office" rings true to so many more. I can't say that Office Space sucks because of Apatow movies and The Office, I can only say those are the reason its no longer prevalent. It sucks because its not funny, the jokes don't register, the story is stupid and goes nowhere and the relationships are impassioned. Livingston's relationship with Aniston ends as quickly as it starts and starts back up again as quickly as it ends. There is no time to relish in it.

The film is apparently based on director Mike Judge's own experiences. I can't make myself laugh at something just because its based on experiences someone else once had and now looks back on and laughs. Realism is a good quality in a film, copying real life isn't.

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